heal-slut-mercy

[noxtivagus]

the hermes brainrot is so real oh my god

[incorrect-web-novels]

Anyway, I’m back from the war (preparing refs for ArtFight), so here are my TGCF and Epic: the Musical thoughts: 

[MAJOR TGCF NOVEL SPOILERS]

Xie Lian’s story is pretty similar to Odysseus’s imo

“The blood on your hands / Is something you won’t lose / all you can choose is whose” (The Horse and the Infant) - this entire plot point is pretty much the “two people and one cup of water.” Just like Odysseus must kill the son of Hector, Xie Lian can’t deal with the war and provide war to Yong’an, and he chooses to prioritize Xianle/the people under him 

“If I became the monster…” is a different reason for blackening - Odysseus wants to protect his crew and family while Xie Lian isn’t protecting anyone at this point - but that song feels MADE for him tbh. The point where Odysseus repeats, “Oh, Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves,” (a point made by Poseidon), where he’s repeating Poseidon’s logic of not showing mercy compared with Xie Lian believing White No-Face/Bai Wuxiang’s philosophy after those infected by the Human Face Disease killed him over and over again

The “Monster” clip could also work for Jun Wu / Crown Prince of Wuyong (even better than for Xie Lian because he was still trying to save the people of Wuyong by sacrificing lives while Xie Lian didn’t really make an active decision to harm anyone until he wanted to release the Human Face Disease, which, again, wasn’t to protect others), but I don’t remember enough to make more of an argument / animatic

Mu Qing and Eurylochus are pretty different yet similar as well - they’re both willing to use “unscrupulous” methods and leave behind others - albeit Eurylochus is talking about leaving their men to stay as pigs on Circe’s Island, I believe, while Mu Qing is not really as cruel or selfish as he’s portrayed; he was prepared to sacrifice himself to save Xie Lian and Feng Xin at the end. However, like, Eurylochus, he’s “not as moral” as Xie Lian and Feng Xin (Odysseus and Polities in Eurylochus’s case) and leaves Xie Lian and Feng Xin during their exile. 

Idk if Mu Qing would confront Xie Lian the way Eurylochus confronts Odysseus in Mutiny though. He was weirdly excited about Xie Lian maybe killing someone (someone mentioned it a while ago; I don’t remember exactly) and seemed to want Xie Lian to be less “perfect.” Plus, Eurylochus is confronting Odysseus about running away from the sea monster Scylla, which I don’t see Mu Qing condemning. HOWEVER, Eurylochus’s doubt in Odysseus's leadership and ability to keep the crew alive is something I could definitely see in Mu Qing (source: just trust me, bro)

(To be honest, I don’t really get Eurylochus’s character that much - he’s upset Odysseus chose to run from Scylla, but he was all for leaving their men to Circe? - but those albums aren’t fully out yet, so it may make more sense later)

I refuse to believe Feng Xin would work as Polities though. It makes sense in all senses of morality, character function, and plot, but Feng Xin would not sing “Open Arms.” I refuse to believe it. 

Pei Ming has the same vibes as Hermes (“Wouldn’t You Like” and “Dangerous”) actually. I don’t have any clear reasoning, but it makes sense to me, yanno?

Speaking of which, while Jun Wu has similar vibes and ideologies to Zeus (“it is the will of the gods”) and Poseidon, if I had to cast anyone as Poseidon, it would HAVE to be Shi Wudu. 

“His title of ‘Water Tyrant was earned due to him capsizing any ship that did not give him offerings” (TGCF Wiki; Book 1, Ch.13) and “When a god comes down and makes a fleet drown, is he scared that he’s doing something wrong? Or does he keep us in check, so we must respect him, and now no one dares to piss him off?” (Monster)

“Shi Wudu considers death better than experiencing or watching prolonged suffering and pain” (TGCF Wiki; Book 3, Ch.124) and “I mean, you totally could have avoided this / Had you just killed my son” (Ruthlessness)

There’s probably more to say, but it’s ~5 am. I was prepared to sleep, like, 3 hours ago. If there are mistakes, no there aren't

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #256: This Power UNLEASHED!

June, 1985

... INTO THE SAVAGE LAND!

Oh, we’ve dropped the Mighty from the title again.

Hm. With She-Hulk swiped by the Fantastic Four, Scarlet Witch off being governmented at, and Captain Marvel kidnapped into space, we’re back down to having the One Woman on the team.

Granted, that One Woman is Wasp and she’s great but I feel like we had something really great for a while and its back to ye olde gender ratios.

Ah well.

So the Avengers have had a time lately.

A jerk called Maelstrom tried to eat the Eternals when they all turned into a giant brain. Then he tried to eat the Earth’s spin. There was this whole invasion from Muspelheim. The West Coast Avengers formed and took down Graviton by drugging him. Vision tried to take over the world thinking it was a good idea when it was a really bad one. And most importantly, Hercules’ cool god outfit got trashed and he’s had to wear army fatigues.

Thankfully, this long national specifically fashion related nightmare is at an end.

Olympus heeds the call!

Apollo has many shortcomings but he knows from style. Look at that ensemble.

And have you seen what he wears in Final Fantasy Legends II or Saga II? Pure class.

Hm, again.

I thought that “This Power Unleashed!” sounded familiar as a title so I looked it up and YUP! Its already been used! Back in Avengers #29!

Tsk tsk.

Check the wiki, Marvel of 1985.

Anyway, yeah, Hercules sent a plea to Olympus for good threads so Zeus sent Apollo (because Hermes was busy) with an outfit hand crafted by Hephaestus.

I guess Hephaestus knows how to weave. Good on him.

Sweet dunk, Apollo.

Hercules introduces Jarvis to his half-brother Apollo. The guy is a bit blown away meeting another god (good ol’ Jarvis, buttles multiple gods but is always impressed to meet more) but he still tries to do his job and offers to tend to Apollo’s horses.

Hercules: “Ah, friend Jarvis! This is my half-brother Apollo, called Phoebus by some!”

Jarvis: “Apollo? The Apollo?! Good lord!”

Apollo: “Indeed. And you would be one of Hercules’ allies?”

Jarvis: “N-no, sir... I am the butler here at Avengers Mansion! If there is anything I can do to make your stay a pleasant one, just ask! Sh-shall I tend to your horses?”

Apollo: “No, you’d best stay clear of them. They’re meat-eaters, you know!”

Jarvis: “Meat -- ?! Good heavens!”

Ah, I love interactions like this. Good times, good times.

Meanwhile, in the training room below, Black Knight trains against the swordfighting robot that the Avengers have in their training room, for the purposes of training against a robot with a sword.

Look, it happens more often than you’d think, in comics. Best to be prepared.

This particular robot has the off-switch on the chin.

Which, if you think about some of the places off-switches are in some fictions... Well, it could have been worse. Chin off-switch. Sure!

Black Knight is apparently rusty, as he’s unsatisfied with having to disarm the swordfighting robot before pushing its chin button. I didn’t get this at first since when did he have time to rest on his laurels and get rusty?

But he comments that “this ol’ body is still a little rusty when it comes to swordplay!” and I realize.

When he was back in time, he was in someone else’s body, an ancestor’s. Who had been training to be a knight for most of his life.

Dane’s original body was turned into a statue and then beat itself to death against Vision’s diamond hard abs. And then reconstituted into a meat body. But what that means is that all the practice Dane was getting in the past? Does not transfer over! He is lacking a bunch of muscle memory and some actual muscle.

Anyway, Wasp was spectating his workout in tiny form and compliments him on the workout and also his scientific expertise. Yup, he’s a science type. Finally, Starfox can go back to being the himbo.

The compliment to his science means a lot to Dane coming from Wasp. Because he thinks she’s still married to Dr. Pym!

Dane missed a hell of a lot with the Avengers when he was in the past times. And also, he never really hung out with them all that much. He was the Avenger that never was, along with Black Widow. But between me saying that and now, Black Widow at least got to be an Avenger on TV.

Y’know, when they went on David Letterman.

And Black Knight wants to change his never was too.

Wasp takes off to go prepare for the Avengers “clean up the mess Vision left” meeting but winds up having to share an elevator with Starfox because that’s a rule of drama.

Trying to avoid someone? You’re gonna get stuck in an elevator with them.

Starfox just straight up asks Wasp what he did to offend her.

Wasp: “It’s not so much what you’ve done, it’s what you can do!”

Starfox: “I beg your pardon?”

Wasp: “That ‘feelgood power’ of yours... none of us, except the Vision, knew you had it until you used it against Maelstrom’s stooge. It’s disturbing to discover that someone you thought you knew can control people’s minds!”

Starfox: “Jan, I cannot control minds. Yes, I can psionicly stimulate the brain’s pleasure centers... I’m sorry if that makes you uneasy. I never meant to conceal my power. It just never occurred to me to mention it, when I first joined the Avengers. However, I see nothing wrong in being able to overcome my enemies by making them feel good... In fact, I always thought it one of the more civilized ways of dealing with trouble.”

Wasp: “Well, put that way, yes! But...”

Starfox: “Jan, I use my special power only on enemies, never on friends... unless they want me to!”

Oh, you charmer.

See, the thing here is that Vision only recently demonstrated how close the power can be to mind control. And one of the people he used it on was Wasp.

Its an invisible, undetectable power that can influence people to do anything he suggests. And someone she has a lot more history with and trusts a whole lot more than a more recent acquaintance used it on her.

So you can’t really logic your way out of her feeling uneasy about it.

And its not something that's going to get resolved in one awkward elevator ride either because they reach their floor and Jan says they’ll have to pick up the discussion later.

Because something much more important came up.

NEW HERCULES OUTFIT!

Now instead of that sash thing, the skirt, and the boots that went all the way up, he’s got a man harness, some manties, a different belt, and some open toed footwear.

Fashion is subjective, of course. Janet van Wasp likes the design but she’s inflicted some fashion travesties on the world.

I personally don’t get the harness. Is it keeping his pecs from getting unruly?

So Apollo takes off after binding Herc’s pecs. I guess he has a full god schedule if he doesn’t want to hang around. Hopefully not full of some of the stuff his full god schedule is full of in stories. But if he wants to lounge sexfully on a rock on Olympus and play the lyre that’s fine. Or if he wants to fly into the Sun. That’s also fine and probably wouldn’t bother him.

But as Jarvis watches Apollo apollgo and thinking ‘wow I met a god! Other than the gods I’ve already met!’, a pair of people are watching Avengers Mansion and take pictures of the departing sun god with a camera with a telescopic lens.

And they’re not just watching Apollo. They don’t even recognize him and think that a guy in a chariot pulled by flying horses is more nuts than say Iron Man or Thor.

They also make note of Captain America arriving at the mansion. And one named Sid somehow knows the Avengers are having a meeting today so tells his compatriot that any move they make will have to wait until the Avengers are done.

Hm.

Curious and also more curious than the first curious.

Inside, Captain America calls the meeting to order as acting chairman. Captain Marvel is absent, MYSTERIOUSLY (she was kidnapped by aliens), but they do have quorum so they can take care of the urgent business of electing a new group leader so Cap doesn’t have to do it anymore.

Starfox: “That shouldn’t be a problem, Cap. The Wasp was chairwoman before the Vision manipulated her into giving up her post -- I move that she be allowed to serve the remainder of her interrupted term. It’s only fair.”

Hooray!

I don’t know if he’s just trying to make amends in his Starfoxy way or this is separate from the tension between them but Wasp is gonna be leader again!

Cap seconds the notion and that leaves Hercules.

He’s surprised that she led the Avengers at all (his time on the Avengers was, I believe, when Jan was deep into her flighty, frivolous stage. When she’d just come into a great deal of money) and that “a warrior as seasoned as Captain America should support her return is astounding.”

So, basically curious and wanting to see if there’s more to her than he sees, he also votes yes.

And since Black Knight is just a guest and not a member of the Avengers, that’s basically unanimous if Wasp wants the job.

She do.

She’s touched but she’s also still one of the best damn chairpeople they’ve had so she immediately gets into it.

They’re short-handed with Vision and Scarlet Witch resigning and with Captain Marvel not back yet. So she proposes Black Knight be added to the roster.

This isn’t a big deal that they need to discuss since its brushed right on by. But in fairness, he’s been found to be Avengers material in the past and its mostly circumstance that kept him away. And the most important qualification is that he actually wants to be on the team.

You can’t dismiss that. A lot of the time the Avengers have a hard time finding enough people who want to be there.

But speaking of people wanting to be there, Cap(tain America) wonders what the heck is keeping Captain Marvel so we can scene transition smoothly over to the Sanctuary II.

Stranded in another galaxy by some space dorks. Vexing.

And her powers have been on the fritz for hours since the jump to hyper-drive.

She finally manages to concentrate and will herself into her energy form. She goes through all the frequencies of light to make sure she can. And then goes into her light-image of her physical form, which is the hardest thing she can do.

Walking around as a hologram of herself. A perfect recreation of, uh, herself, except for having no shadow.

She has an opportunity to test it out rather quickly when Levan the space jerk comes in with food for her.

Since she’s a hologram and doesn’t want to reveal her powers are working again and since she’s pissed about being taken into space, Monica tells Levan to just put the food down and fuck off.

Levan: “Very well, I’ll go. But remember... space can be a lonely place without a few friends. Enjoy your breakfast.”

He meets Skunge outside and says that she’s TOTALLY going to come around while inside Monica thinks “I fooled him completely!”

So I don’t know that she will totally come around.

Back at Avengers Mansion, Wasp wraps up the rest of the pressing Avengers business she had to discuss, leaving an opening for Starfox to ask if there’s been any word from the government about Vision and Scarlet Witch’s debriefing.

Wasp forwards the question to Cap and he says he hasn’t heard a word, surprising him since he thought some of the blame would splash back onto the Avengers as a whole no matter how hard Vision tried to take all of it.

And he doesn’t think the government figured out that Vision took over the Soviet computer networks as well since if they had, they likely would have seized the Mansion to get access to the systems he used.

Cap also warns them that government debriefings can go on for weeks.

A BREEEEEEEE alarm interrupts Wasp as she’s about to close the meeting and the Avengers jump into a Quinjet to hightail it somewhere.

The people watching the Mansion decide now is the time to make some sort of move.

I’d guess they’re going to try to break into the mansion. Rude.

As the Avengers head towards the South Atlantic, Black Knight questions whether the Avengers usually get called on to investigate shipwrecks.

And having read all two-hundred and fifty-six plus annuals and et ceteras, no. No they don’t.

But this is a special request from SHIELD because the ship was carrying top secret cargo. Which is so top secret that they don’t tell the Avengers what it was even as they ask the Avengers to investigate the shipwreck for them.

Geez, fuck SHIELD.

Anyway, shipwreck.

Its a doozy.

Like many youth, I went through a shipwreck phase. I can’t rightly say why that’s such a common shared experience. But it is.

And based on my expertise, I can definitely say that the ship has been wrecked.

The Avengers land and rush out onto the rocky shoal and go HEY HOW CAN WE HELP THE SURVIVORS?

The agent in charge tells them, hey there’s only one and he’s in bad shape. Probably gonna die dramatically right after explaining what happened. Because genre conventions.

The one surviving sailor tells them they look like Avengers so he’ll tell them what happened.

The ship was heading out of the Gulf of Mexico and heading north as part of OPERATION: BIG STICK.

Such a top secret mission that even deckhands needed to have level-2 clearance.

And it was a secret mission to transport a big stick. The rare government operation that’s exactly what it says.

Then the big stick started to glow and then the whole ship started to glow and then it started ZOOMing south, sending sailors flying off the ship.

The survivor: “Most of the others were luckier’n me... they didn’t have to live through what came next!”

The ship starts zipping sideways towards a whirlpool out of which a giant hand pops out of and chops the ship.

A weird circumstance but that’s what comic universes are like sometimes.

Anyway, right after the sailor tells the Avengers that the giant whirlpool hand threw the ship like it was nothing, he up and dies because he ran out of exposition.

Like I said, genre convention.

Captain America: “As god is my witness, I swear that this man will be avenged!”

The Avengers get back in the Quinjet and nyoom south following an underwater path of destruction.

During the flight, Wasp has been badgering Washington trying to find information on OPERATION BIG STICK. The government is being unhelpful and all they’ll tell her is that OPERATION BIG STICK is related to “Terminus.”

Thankfully, Starfox and Cap recognize the name so they have SOME information.

Starfox: “Terminus?!? I’ve heard of a Terminus... but he is a legend among the stars... a loathsome scavenger of worlds!”

Cap knows less. He just remembers that Vision was complaining that the Fantastic Four were called in to deal with Terminus instead of the Avengers.

So, hey, I guess the Avengers get a crack at Terminus after all! After Vision left! He’d be upset if he still had that crystal in his head.

So the Avengers know that the Fantastic Four would have information on Terminus but Wasp is completely unable to reach them or access their data files.

Wasp: “It’s as if their Baxter Building headquarters had vanished off the face of the Earth!”

Editor’s note: “It has!”

Story of their lives!

The Avengers arrive in the Larsen Ice Shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula where the trail continues.

Wow. That’s a long trail. The story of this boat wreck started out the Gulf of Mexico and now we’re in Antarctica.

They stop their pursuit because the trail of destruction went right over a research station and one of the scientists is trapped under the wreckage. Hercules lifts some heavy girders so she can be pulled to shelter.

Always nice when the Avengers save lives.

Its one of my favorite things they do.

Off-screen, the Avengers rescued the rest of the research staff and then they quiz the first one they rescued about what happened.

Scientist: “I... I’m not sure -- it was all so sudden! I was checking the supply shed, when this big... something seemed to sweep over the base! It was almost an elemental force -- except that the destruction it caused was more deliberate. It was as if some giant found us in his path, and kicked the place apart in a fit of pique! Does that make any sense?”

Captain America: “Maybe.”

Hah.

I know its supposed to be Cap pondering but it reads as so noncommittal.

Starfox returns from scouting ahead and reports that Terminus’ tracks lead to some misty area beyond the mountains.

Hercules: “At least this monster will find nothing more to harm amid that desolate land!”

And then the scientists have to Well Actually Hercules.

I guess maybe Herc hasn’t ever been there.

There’s a big, famous spot in Marvel Antarctica.

You may have heard of it. Its come up at least once in this liveblog before.

THE SAVAGE LAND!

Heck, all those dinosaurs is actually why this research base is here. And if the fate of the last living dinosaurs on Earth aren’t a big enough incentive, you monster, there’s also a research team in the Savage Land right now!

Now humans are at stake!

Now do you care? You make me sick!

Anyway, the research team is hanging out with Ka-Zar and his sabretooth bud Zabu when all of a sudden there’s an earthquake which sets off a stampede.

A stampede caused by a guy who carries a BIG STICK.

Terminus: “PITIFUL WORMS! I AM YOUR MASTER... AND YOU ARE MIN TO DO WITH AS I CHOOSE! SUCH IS THE POWER... SUCH IS THE RIGHT OF TERMINUS!!”

Wow. He’s a big boy.

I’ll be honest. This is only my third time reading a comic with Terminus. The first one was JLA/Avengers and the Justice League tricked him into shooting himself in the face. The second was in that Alpha storyline in Spider-Man.That’s less of a funny statement.

And I just looked up Terminus on the wiki and apparently he’s bacteria that grows up to be a robot and then megazords into a bigger robot and he’s also pissed off at the Celestials.

Get in line, pal.

Follow @essential-avengers​ because I bring you the hottest hot takes like ‘wow Terminus is tall.’ Also like and reblog this post? Maybe? Consider it. The idea might grow on you. Grow as tall as Terminus.

[choerrypuffs]

Who do you think the other members of nct would have as their godly parents? I feel like the ones you chose for 00line were very accurate so I wanna see your take in the other members !! :))))

omg i’ve actually thought about this and expanding the demigods series to ot23 one day but i can barely finish the 00 line fics 😔 maybe one day i’ll turn it into a collab or something 

ok so here’s what i think (please feel free to share your thoughts too!! i love talking about this stuff 🥰) :

taeil is definitely a child of hypnos. i was also debating hades but i feel like hypnos is more his vibe since he’s literally the epitome of the 😎 emoji (most prominently featured on cat’s @luvdsc not clickbait series). 

johnny would be an apollo kid. his personality is actually kind of similar to apollo’s in the pjo books LMAO. or maybe zeus bc he kind of has the demeanor of zeus kid idk how to describe it. 

taeyong is aphrodite’s fav son!! that man is full of love <3333 also he and y/n from my best friend wants to be abducted by aliens are bffs!! i didn’t include it in the fic bc i just now decided but!! 

yuta would be the child of nemesis - for no reason other than the fact that he scares me 😌

kun is the head counselor of the demeter cabin. he’s just so nuturing and kind and patient like it’s perfect !! but also he’s basically just as stressed as y/n from i become attracted to seaweed is 💀

DOYOUNG IS AN ATHENA KID AND I DON’T THINK I NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY THAT MAN IS THE POSTER CHILD OF AN ATHENA KID. 

ten is the child of iris for sure bc iris kids are good with art supplies + creating art (i.e. rainbow v). 

ngl i made jaehyun an aphrodite kid bc his bday is valentine’s day and i think that is no coincidence. was it lazy of me? perhaps. BUT i think he fits it well so 🙈

i’m actually quite torn for sicheng, maybe hades or hecate? idk why but he just gives me the vibes of a kid with “darker” godly parent. 

jungwoo is a zeus kid, which once again, is lazy of me but his nickname is literally zeus and he suits it to a t. 

lucas is a hebe kid! if you go look at the camp half-blood wiki, he checks all of the boxes of the typical characteristics of a hebe kid. or maybe aphrodite! 

mark = hephaestus kid. he is literally a more awkward version of leo valdez?? 

xiaojun is a poseidon kid; he gives me tyson vibes 🥺🥺🥺

hendery is a zeus or apollo kid!! i can’t decide!! vibes!!

yangyang is an ares kid omfg. he’s mischievous like a hermes or apollo kid but he’s also dangerous. 

shotaro would be a zeus kid maybe? idk i’m not really that familiar with him so i’m not really sure :(( ORRR if i were going to pull a fast one, i could also see him as a dionysus kid LMAO. like the trope where the kid is the exact opposite of their parent. 

i don’t know sungchan that well either but poseidon kid?? he would be the one EVERYONE has a crush on for sure. 

chenle is a tyche kid bc he is RICH and loves games. or nike!! 

i feel like jisung would be a zeus kid too!! i don’t really have a reason other than vibes lol but doesn’t he fit the image so well??? 

[cartoonfantic8]

Nico Di Angelo AU - Part 1

Spoliers for the entire Percy Jackson Serise. If your not caught up do not read.

Disclaimer - I don’t own the characters or any of the books plot. That is owned by Rick Riordan not me I sort of own the idea. There is other people in the internet who have this idea, this is just my take. Also I got most of the information of the plot and details thanks the the Fandom Wiki so credits to them.

AU - Nico Di Angelo was the child of the prophecy instead of Percy Jackson. Pretty much the serise as a Solangelo cannon instead of Percbeth. Some things are different but most things are kinda the same like the quests.

P.O.V - So in the orignal series it’s all in Percy’s POV but I got the idea that it switches POV’s like “Heroes of Olympus”. This is switched between Nico,Will,and Bianca

The Lightning Thief

Arrival at Camp

A twelve year old boy and thirteen year old girl were taken out of there military school by a lawyer (Alecto in disguise) to go to a Camp for them to be safe. There names were Bianca and Nico Di Angelo.

On the way they were attacked by the Minotaur which was chasing the limo.

Alecto told them to run to Percy’s tree and tell the people at the camp there that there haftbloods. Bianca and Nico ran towards a big pine tree but the Minotaur caught up to them. To protect her brother Bianca killed the Minotaur with her bare hands and somehow survived. Bianca and Nico fainted by the pine tree and before Nico passed out he yelled Help.

A camper immediately saw them and rushed them to the infirmary.

Nico woke up and saw a cute blonde hair boy (Will) rambling about how Bianca killed the Minotaur with her bare hands and how these kids are powerful. The boy noticed and got him a glass of water. Nico asked “Where am I”and “Where’s Bianca”. the boy said “Your okay and your safe” calming him down. Another boy (Lee Flecher) came in and told Will to take Nico to Mr.D and Chiron.

The blonde hair boy took Nico to two men both in there late 40s and Bianca who Nico immdently hugged. The men introduced both as Mr.D and Chiron. Chiron asked the blonde hair boy who he called Will to set up a place where Bianca and Nico to sleep in Cabin 11. Chiron explained to them about the Greek Gods and how there real. Nico was in shock while Bianca thought that it was all fake. Chiron asked them if they had ADHD or Dylexisia, if they’ve had an absent parent figure, or if werid thing have happened around them.

They both said yes and we’re taking it in. Chiron asked if they had any parents. Bianca responds with “Are mother died and are father was never around but after are mom died, are dad that we never met sent us to this hotel for a few weeks and then to a miterally school.” Chiron said “That’s strange, the records say - never mind there probely wrong. Mr.D told them to go to Hermes Cabin which Luke led them to since he was passing by.

Nico saw Will and went over to him. He thanked him for fixing his arm. Will blushed and told him that he didn’t and that was Lee. Will said that he really wants to be a child of Apollo because he loves working in the medicence field and that Lee let’s him help sometimes. Will asks him that if he knows the game Mythomagic and Will teaches him

Over the next few days Will and Nico became inseparable and did all there activitys togther. Until a few days before the Capture the Flag game a Aries camper was roughhousing with there sibling, which resulted in a wound on there arm. Will quickly fixed and healed with magic (Like Magnus Chase’s healing magic) and was claimed by Apollo. Nico was heartbroken. His best friend was claimed. Will and Nico still spent there free time togther but it wasn’t the same and Nico was all alone execpt he had Bianca

The Claiming

On the Capture the Flag game the captins were Athena and Aries. Athena took the Hermes and Apollo cabin while Aries took the rest. Nico and Will were on border patrol being kids but Will was asked to help in the infirmary as an Apollo kid so Nico was alone. Nico heard something in the woods and went to go look at what is was. It was a hellhound and it almost attacked Nico but Bianca stopped it and the hellhound backed away. Everyone saw what happened and were shocked. Bianca hugged Nico and made sure he was okay and then they were claimed by Hades. Everyone had fear in there eyes including Will.

No one talked to them after that and if they did they had fear in there voice. Everyone treated them differently as they were the black sheep of the camp. Chiron ended up letting them stay in the big house since the Hermes Cabin were terrified. He also gave them a new schedule so most of the time they wouldn’t be with the other campers.

One day they went to the forge to make weapons with Cabin 9. The Hephaestus kids were all terrified. Becknodorf didn’t care there were children of Hades and told them if his siblings gave any trouble talk to him. Bianca made a sliver bow and arrow and Nico makes a black Celsetial Bronze sword.

The Prophecy

Later that night in the big house. Nico couldn’t sleep because he heard noises from the room above him. He went to check it out and the Oracle started to speak to him and gave a prophecy to him.

“You shall go west and face the god who has turned,

You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned,

You will be betrayed by one who calls you friend,

And your journey shall be a fight till the end”

Chrion finds a terrified Nico and tells him a prophecy has been issuied. He calls a councilor meeting instantly. It was pretty much all the oldest campers in the camp with the exception of Annabeth because the head counselor for the Athena cabin was in the infirmary thanks to a grusesome sword fight with Clarisse and she went instead.

While taking Bianca decided to go on the quest since she could not leave her brother alone. Even though Annabeth has been waiting for her chance she decided not to go because two children of the big three will result in a “death trap” which Luke whispers in her ear something about being nice. Nico tells them the lines of the propchey and they all unpack it. They also explain to the Hades’s kids about what happened at the solstice and what’s at stake in which Nico is internally freaking out since the fate of the world is on his shoulders

They still needed a third quest member. Nico asks Becknodorf but he declines since he’s needed at camp. Bianca thinks that no one wants to come since there children of Hades but Nico still has some hope. The next day Will gives Nico a “Quest kit” packed with ambrosia, necter, a first aid kit, and money. Will tells him how this quest is important and he’ll do great. Nico dosen’t and says “I can’t. The fate of the world is in my shoulders and I don’t even have a third quest member”. Will calms him down and tells him he’ll go and Nico hugs him and says “Thank you”

Nico and Will tell Chrion and he announces it at Breakfest. Bianca is shocked but happy. Most of the camp is shocked that a son of Apollo is going on a quest with two children of Hades. The Apollo cabin is mostly mad execptially Micheal Yew.

After breakfest Will goes to his cabin to grab a few things before the quest. Micheal Yew is infuriated and yells at Will on how he’s going to get himeself killed and how he can’t trust children of Hades because there evil. Will yells back and tells all of his siblings how Bianca and Nico are good people and how there all judging them for their dad which is stupid. He leaves the cabin and is off to Percy’s tree. Before he leave Lee tells Will he’s proud of him for standing up for his friends and that he’s going to do great on the quest.

Bianca, Nico, and Will are by Percy’s tree off to find Zeus lighting bolt. Before they leave though Beckendorf gave Bianca a magic rope he made, to help her in tricky situations.

Starting the Quest

After Nico, Will, and Bianca are driven into town, they take a bus into New Jersey. When they get on the bus, Zeus send monsters after them which Bianca defeats with her bow and arrow

They escape to Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium. After they are served food, Aunty Em wants to take a picture of them to use as models for her statues. However, she tries to turn them to stone instead of using them as models because she is Medusa. Nico cuts off her head, and they leave. They find a lost dog, return it, and get $200. They buy train tickets with that money and get off at the Gateway Arch.

When Nico is alone on the top, Echidna reveals herself, along with her pet, the Chimera. Nico battles the Chimera and is poisoned during the fight. Before he “dies” he prays to his father that Bianca and Will will be safe on the quest. Before Echidna kills him Nico accidentally shadow travels away ( there were shadows around him. I know it dosen’t make sense but I have to work with it) to the ground beneath him.

Going Futher West

Weaken, Nico tries to find Will and Bianca in which he dose. Will and Bianca are crying because Nico is on the verge of death. Will tries to use his healing magic but it isn’t enough. He was sobbing at that point and his tears healed him and took away the poison. They all cry happy tears and Bianca punches Nico is the shoulder and told him not to do that again.

The trio gets on the train and are taken to Denver.

They get off, and go into a diner. Ares comes in and tells them to get his shield at Waterland, and, in turn, he would give them a ride west

They go to Waterland and find out the ride was set up with a trap by Hephaestus. They get out with Aphrodite's Scarf and go back to the diner, and Ares shows them a Kindness International truck

Las Vegas

Once they reach Las Vegas, a bellhop from the Lotus Hotel and Casino invites them to come in. Bianca is a little  skeptical and says this place is familiar. The bellhop insists and says it’s okay. The argee and went in. The receptionist asks for there names and when Bianca says them. The receptionist says that Nico and Bianca have a room and asks if they want to renew it. Bianca didn’t trust them but ends up going so Nico and Will are safe.

Nico, Will, and Bianca are given a room. After they enjoy the perks of staying in such a luxurious suite, they decide to go down to the arcade.

Will finds a boy, Darrin, who thinks the year is 1977. Will asks a few more people what the year is, to which they answer 1985 and 1993.

Will finds Nico and Bianca and they immediately leave the hotel

They are relieved to find out from a newspaper that it is still the same year. However, 5 days have already passed, leaving only one day to retrieve the lightning bolt.

The Night Outside

That night they decide to camp outside so they can get some rest. Nico decided to take first watch while Will and Bianca slept. Will woke up in the middle of his shift from a nightmare.

Nico asks if he was okay and Will said yes. Nico knew he lied and asked him again. Will said he dreamt of Nico dying in arms like he did before. Nico promised him he won’t do that again.

Will saw there was something wrong with Nico and asked him. He blurted it out of how he hates being a child of Hades. How everyone thinks of him as an outcast and that they wouldn’t cared if he was dead. Will told him he would upset if he was dead. Nico was his best friend.

Nico thanked him and also thanked him for coming on this quest. They stared into each other eyes for a moment and then Nico quickly looked away. He asked Will why is the pine tree on the hill called Percy?

Will tells him the story of Percy Jackson the other child of the big three. A group of haft bloods and a saytar were chased by a Cyclopes. There names were Annabeth Chase, Luke Castellan, Grover Underwood, and Percy Jackson son of Posiden. He was very loyal and did anything to protect his friends. They were about to reach Camp but the Cyclopes caught up to them. Percy sacrificed himself to save his friends. Posiden was upset his only son was dead and turned him into a pine tree. That tree watches over the camp and once you reach it you know your safe.

Bianca who wasn’t sleeping the whole time but the boys didn’t know that, decided to take watch. Nico and Will fell asleep and Bianca defently knew something was between them.

Reaching the Underworld

While searching for the entrance to the Underworld, they encounter Procrustes. Since Posiden is mad that Hades had two children breaking the oath twice, he sends his son Procrustes to trap Nico and Bianca. He traps Nico and Bianca using his signature technique — causing them to lie down on a bed while being stretched by ropes until they are exactly the same height of the bed

Will tricks him into lying down on one such bed. Procrustes is killed, and the trio proceed to DOA Recording Studios, the cover place for the gates to the Underworld, then enter. There Charon lets Nico and Bianca being children of the Underworld but doesn’t let Will in. Nico says that if he dosen’t his father will hear about this. (Please tell me someone got that reference)

Inside, they discover that the entrance to the Underworld proper is being guarded by Cerberus. Bianca tames him and then Will plays with the giant dog by using a little red ball to keep him distracted, giving Nico and Bianca enough time to pass to see there father

They walk through the Fields of Asphodel and pass by the path to the pit of Tartarus. As they approach the entrance to Tartarus, Beckendorf’s rope try to pull Bianca into it, but she manages to slip out of it. They get into there father’s place.

Nico confronts Hades who believes that he and Bianca were just some spawn and that he dosen’t care about them. He only cares because he needs them to clear his name. Hades says that’s not true and that he cares he just dosen’t have a good way of showing it. He then explains there past of how he put them in the Loucas Hotel for about 70 years to protect them from Zues. He also explains about there mother Maria Di Angelo and how he begged her and there children to live in the underworld which she declined. He also explains how Zues struck her with a lighting bolt and how he needed to protect them. Nico and Bianca were surprised but understood.

While Hades was taking, Nico realizes that Ares has tricked him when he discovers the Master Bolt is in his backpack. He and his friends were teleported by Hades out of the underworld

Fighting Aries

Hades return Nico, Bianca,and Will back to an ocean. They reach the shore, meet Ares, and confront him. Nico then challenges him to a fight.

He uses his sword to battle Ares. Nico eventually stabs him in the heel and Ares starts to bleed ichor. He is about to kill Nico when an evil force in the form of a dark aura convinces him to not strike Nico.

Ares then leaves, giving Nico the Helm of Darkness. Nico tosses it to the Furies, and they take it back to his father

Ending

Nico,Will,and Bianca fly back to New York City to give the lightning bolt to Zeus, despite the dangers of flying.

He proceeds to the Empire State Building and reaches the top, where Olympus is currently located. Zeus accepts the bolt and decided not to kill them. Hades was there to congratulate his children in not dying. Nico and Bianca have a short talk with there father before returning to camp.

Nico bumps into Beckendorf who reveals that he stole the bolt and helm for Kronos and then calls out a poisonous scorpion which stings and nearly kills Nico. Nico is unconscious after the attempt to kill him. Beckendorf manages to escape and leaves Camp Half-Blood. Will cures Nico and they, along with Bianca and Chrion discuss Beckendorf betrayal.

The camp beads are awarded, and the bead for this year - Nico, and Bianca’s first year is a white bead painted with a black helmet in the middle. Will’s was a black bead with a golden sun in the middle. Will leaves Camp Half-Blood to visit his mom Naomi Solace. Nico and Bianca stay at camp year around. The camp slowly learns to accept them and relized there kind, caring, funny people and didn’t judge them on there parentage. Sure some camper still have them dirty looks or talked behind there back but they didn’t care. They found a place where they belonged.

How was that? I worked pretty hard on it and I think it was great. This is going to be a serise and I’m planning on doing PJO and HOO but not TOA because I do not know how to write around that. I hoped you enjoyed that, I tried my best to make it different and tried for it to make sense. Thank you for reading.

@thatlitpollostan

[eirikrjs]

Satan, Seth, Queen Maya, and Maia

So, lately I’ve been looking at the many entries of Persona World’s demon encyclopedia, checking them out of curiosity and translating some of them for the Megami Tensei wiki since they’re the closest thing P1/2 have for a compendium (this is, incidentally, is how I came across the Maya/Maia thing).

I was skimming the entries looking for something to translate, when I came across Satan’s entry and saw Seth being mentioned. So then I decided to translate it and got this:

Satan

His name means “opposer” in Hebrew. Satan is the enemy of the Gods, the leader of the fallen angels who defy the heavens.

He’s normally equated with Lucifer, with the heavenly form referred as Lucifer, and the form after falling from grace as Satan. Satan is also equated with the snake that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden as well as with the dragon who was driven from Heaven by Michael. As Satan is heavily associated with snakes, it serves as evidence to the theory that Satan is derived from the evil Egyptian god Seth. According to it, Satan’s name comes from “セト・アン,” which means “Seth’s dog.” Seth also could transform into a serpent and opposed the chief gods of the Egyptian pantheon, creating another parallel with Satan.

(I left it as セト・アン because I couldn’t find a way to romanize it).

Naturally, my next step was to look up whatever セト・アン is, so I googled it and got a hit from the Pixiv dictionary. Lo and behold, right at the top of the page we’ve got this:

North-American feminist writer Barbara Walker argues that Satan’s name comes from the Egyptian god Seth, having evolved from “Seth’s dog (セト・アン).” As a result some pieces of media equate Satan and Seth, or make them somehow closely related. (It should be noted that she is not a religion/language researcher, and has many unique interpretations for legends and myths).

Oh, would you look at that, it’s the author of “The Women’s Encyclopedia or Myths and Secrets”, aka, the same book responsible for Scáthach-Skadi and Babylonian Arsiel! Now, I looked up a transcript of the book and couldn’t find on the book about those exact words. It does say that Satan=Set(h) but I didn’t find anything about dogs related to it. There is a lot of stuff on dogs in the book, so it’s possible I missed it (assuming it isn’t in another of her books, as the Pixiv dictionary doesn’t mention the book’s name or the year it was released).

But hey, I may not have found the exact source of セト・アン, but look at this:

Buddha

[…] Buddha had many other names because he had already lived through many incarnations on earth. Even the Buddha supposed to have appeared in the 5th century B.C. had several names: Gautama, Sakyamuni, Siddhartha the last, again, not a name but a title, “Rich in Yogic Power.” Buddha was miraculously begotten by the Lord of Hosts and born of the Virgin Maya, the same Great Goddess workshipped throughout Asia and having the alternative Near-Eastern names of Maia, Marah, Mari, or Maria.

Hermes

[…] Hermes was a universal Indo-European god. An Enlightened One born of the virgin Maia, he was the same as the Enlightened One (Buddha) born of the same virgin Maya in India. The Mahanirvanatantra said Buddha was the same as Mercury (Hermes), the son of the Moon (Maya).

Maia “Grandmother of Magic,” mother of the Greeks’ Enlightened One,  Hermes; the western version of Maya, “Magic,” mother of the Hindus'  Enlightened One, Buddha. She personified the powers of transformation and material “appearances,” the same powers attributed to Maya-Kali, who made the universe by her magic. Greek writers called Maia one of the Pleiades, but also understood that she was the Great Goddess of Maytime festivals, of the renewal and rebirth of the dead. She made her son Hermes the Conductor of Souls in the underworld, just as the Hindu Maya made her masculine counterpart Ya-Ma into a Conductor of Souls and Lord of Death.

Maya “Magic,” title of the Virgin Kali as the creatress of earthly appearances, i.e., all things made of matter and perceptible to the senses. She also gave birth to the Enlightened One, Buddha. The same Goddess, called Maia by the Greeks, was the virgin mother of Hermes the Enlightened One, who had as many reincarnations as the Buddha. […] She was more than the Maia who mothered Hermes; she was also Maga the Grandmother-goddess who bore Cu Chulainn’s mother; and the Mandaean Christians’ Almaya, called “Eternity,” or ‘the World,“ or "Beings”; and Maga or Maj the May-maiden in Scandinavia.

Assuming that Walker really was the one who came up with Seth-Satan, then it’s very likely that Atlus has been using her as a source as far back as SMT2.

_________________________________________________________

Wow... what a scoop! Thanks for putting that work in.

I’m not sure I have anything to add! Except that I found a txt of the book and not only is Set’s entry incredibly brief and irrelevant, Satan’s also doesn’t doesn’t have anything about Set-an, instead comparing him to the Egyptian serpent Sata, which I feel was brought up not that long ago. I don’t think there were positive things to say about a connection. Satan’s entry starts on page 893.

So a セト・アン search continues. Between this book and Angels: An Endangered Species, Atlus really had rotten luck choosing source material.

[duhragonball]

If no one's done it yet how about Jolyne

Give me a character and I will answer:

Why I like them: Let’s be honest, the JoJo’s start to run together after a while, but Jolyne always stands out, because she’s green and she’s a lady.   So that’s a plus.  

On top of that, I think it’s important that Jolyne’s “call to adventure” was very different from the others.   Most of the other JoJo’s got invited to join this mission against evil, or they saw some opportunity and went for it, like with Johnny.   Stone Ocean is set in a prison, so the only way to start that story is for Jolyne to get arrested and convicted of a crime, so she’s really sort of thrust into this situation.    Eventually, she discovers there’s more on the line than her survival or escape, but it’s still largely a reaction to the situation.    This isn’t like Giorno, where he took it upon himself to conquer the gang, or Joseph, who took it upon himself to settle unfinished business from Part 1.  Jolyne starts out as a damsel in distress and then has to become the hero of her own story.  

I shy away from saying this sometimes, because I can’t tell if it’s obvious or not, but this is what I like about women in heroic fiction.    At some point I was watching the 90′s X-Men cartoon and realized that if the boy X-Men fought the girl X-Men, the boys would get their asses kicked.   I like Wolverine and all, but fuck Wolverine, what are those claws gonna do if Storm throws a hurricane at his ass?   I’m old enough to remember a time when they had women superheroes but they didn’t get to do very much, presumably for sexist reasons.  Wonder Woman was in the original Justice Society of America, but she was their secretary, and rarely got to show off in those books, despite being the most popular and enduring character.   Now she’s been in like four movies, and no one even remembers the Golden Age Atom, who was just a collegiate wrestler in a crappy mask.   

The handy thing about women characters is that you can reject the old tropes or subvert them.    Princess Leia can sneak into Jabba’s palace with a clever disguise, get captured, and then choke Jabba to death with the leash he makes her wear.    You don’t know if someone else is going to save her or if she’s going to do it herself.    Jolyne does that sort of thing all through Part 6.    It’s great.  

I like Stone Free a lot too.   Gold Experience makes no friggin’ sense and the final battle from Part 5 still bugs me, but Stone Free is like “Shh.   Shhhh.   It’s okay.   Part 5 is over now.   All I do is strings.   Nice and easy.   And the strings smell like soap.”   The soap at grandma’s?  I hope so.   Point being that if Jolyne chokes out Jabba the Hutt, I won’t need to watch twenty YouTube videos to understand how that killed him.    If Jabba was in Part 5, it’d be like “Well, the chain was in the past, but his throat was in the future, and you have to take King Crimson into account, so let’s mark this as “future A” on our diagram...” 

No, fuck that.    It’s just strings.  Because she’s so good at braiding her own hair, you see.  And slipping in and out of trouble.    Her Stand reflects her personality. 

Why I don’t: My main gripe with Jolyne is that she is not real, approximately my age, and married to me.   I hope that Hirohiko Araki and Lucky Land Productions will take the necessary steps to rectify this problem.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): This is where I’d tell you about my favorite episode of the Stone Ocean anime... if DAVEPRO WOULD EVER MAKE ONE!

Aw, it’s been a while since I read Part 6... let’s go with the Foo Fighters battle, since that was pretty good.

Favorite season/movie: Part 6.  I guess it’s either this or that Gucci thing, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a commercial.

Favorite line: “The killer went back inside the jail on purpose! He won't come out again... because he's someone who belongs inside! That's why I'm going back inside!”

Favorite outfit: They all kind of look the same to me, but I liked what the Wiki refers to as her “fourth outfit”, which I think is just the second one with a longer jacket.

I suppose the coat does the same thing for her as it did for Jotaro, making her seem a little bigger and more imposing than she really is.    Also, at some point she had a belt buckle that looked like a stylized “9″, and I dug that.   

OTP: I’m not wild about any of the options, honestly.    Jolyne/Hermes caught my interest for a while, but that was mainly because I like checking out fan art of Hermes, and a lot of it involves her curling up with Jolyne.    I see people ship Jolyne with Foo Fighters, and that doesn’t feel right to me for some reason.   I’m not condemning it, mind you.    I don’t want to turn this into some sort of shipping manifesto.  

Brotp: Hermes all the way.  

Head Canon: I don’t think I have any.

Unpopular opinion: I’ve heard a lot of people poo-pooed Part 6 for one reason or another.    They’re all wrong.

Also, for some reason, the internet keeps spelling it “Cujoh”, even though they spell it “Kujo” for Jotaro.    Someone explain that to me.

A wish: I wish Jolyne would pick me up in her long ropey arms and tell me it’s going to be okay.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: ...

Yeah, I can’t think of anything.  

5 words to best describe them: MAKE STONE OCEAN ANIME DAVEPRO

My nickname for them: JoJo.   Yeah, she doesn’t like it, but what’s she gonna do about it?

[the-east-art]

This is probably a weird question but I know you like the play Hadestown and I want to listen to it But I don’t know if theirs dialogue in between songs, so what’s the entire plot of the play? I know it’s a big question but I don’t know anyone lets who likes and I looked up a I got confused. The most I know it’s about a Greek myth of the one where hades makes someone live with him in the fall I don’t remember the lady’s lame I’m bad at remembering Or something like that. Sorry if I’m annoying.

not a problem in the slightest! So I have to say that this is just the gist on it i got from wiki when I was looking into it.. And also to answer your question there is dialogue between songs but idk how much it actually adds to the musical as a whole.

So first of all Hadestown is based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The gist of it is that Orpheus is this super cool guy who has a voice like honey and can play a lyre (a guitar in the musical) like... like... like idk some guy who’s really good at musical instruments. He’s real good. He loves Eurydice, who loves him back. mmmm. lovers. Then Eurydice dies and Orpheus marches down to the Underworld to get his girl back. But he can’t leave with her so he begs Hades and his wife Persephone to let them go. He plays such a beautiful song that it convinces Hades and Persephone to let them try one one condition. On the entire way back from the underworld he can’t look back to check on Eurydice. They make it almsot out of the underworld, but scared that Hades tricked him he can’t help but to glance back to make sure she’s really there. She was and they lose. She stays down there while he leaves. 

Hadestown is kinda the same vein? Stay with me here. So it’s like a post apocalyptic early 1900s feel. If that makes any sense. The narrator is Hermes (not sure why, I’m sure it’s relevant but idk) Eurydice is very worried about like making sure she has enough money to live a stable life, and Orpheus is a bit of a wild card, but they fall in love anyway. 

Hades and Persephone have fallen into a loveless marriage, but ache from the love they used to have. Hades, missing Persephone when she’s gone builds an empire of the underworld (Chant I is where this is explored. where Persephone asks why it’s hot down here? The furnaces. Why so bright? the neon lights. He builds a wall around his domain, also in my opinion showing how he closes himself off) 

Anyhoo when Hades comes to collect Persephone for his six months he offers Eurydice a job in Hadestown. She wants the stability of income and agrees. But when you go down you never come back up and she gets stuck down there. Orpheus, worried when he can’t find her searched. HErmes tells him she’s in the underworld and helps him get down there (Wait for Me) BAsically he gets down there runsinto Persephone who hates the place that Hades made of the Underworld and runs into Eurydice and they try to find a way out. (I skip most of the middle songs where this stuff occurs and tune back in around Chant II) Hades who knows that Persephone loves Orpheus’ music lets him try and impress the God to get a chance out. Orpheus sings about how Hades had loved Persephone so much, and how he had let things cloud his judgement and was now alone (Epic III I think is the song?) It touches Hades so much he gives them a chance.

(Hades is put into a tricky position where if he lets Eurydice go he looks like a push over and will have an uprising, or he can keep her down here, she’ll become a martyr and he’ll have an uprising anyway - the whole you cant look at her on your way up thing)

He lets them try on the condition that on the way out Orpheus cannot look behind him. At Hades heart softening, both him and Persephone agree to try again at their relationshiip. Orpheus leaves with Eurydice. But then Doubt Comes Creeping in. He sees the light, and looks behind him (at least that how I interpretted that section of the song). She goes back down. 

It’s wrapped up with Hermes, contemplating the story. About why we retell it over and over even though we know it will always end the same way. About how we all want to live in the better world that Orpheus sees.

Anyhoo that’s the gist of it at least as I remember from the songs I’ve listened to and from the wiki I read forever ago. So I hope it helped? 

[trekspertise]

Epic Trek Bibliography

Writers - Katie Boyer, Kyle Sullivan

Narration & Editing - Kyle Sullivan

Title Graphics & Logo - Dan King

Special Thanks - This episode was made possible by the support of Joshua Kifer, Paul Laker, Alex Zheng, Troy Bernier, Jay Yan, Alex Blocker, Patteroast, Ryan Kindahl, Martin Bohm, Nathan Lucero, and the other generous supporters of Patreon. Thank you very much, everyone!

A thank you to Memory Alpha, an online Star Trek wiki. Additional thanks to the Daystrom Institute subreddit, a place dedicated to Star Trek discussion, and The Star Trek Encyclopedia 4th Edition, by Michael Okuda & Denise Okuda, 2016.

Odyssey Translation by http://homer.library.northwestern.edu/

Map of Odysseus’s Voyage based on ESRI’s Story Map (http://arcg.is/1ddmSkG).

Additional Reading - How Star Trek Explains The Decline Of Liberalism (http://bit.ly/2xikI43) and The Economic Of Star Trek by Rick Webb (http://bit.ly/1nXycpX). 

Support Trekspertise on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trekspertise

Check out footage from my Antarctica Trip here: http://bit.ly/2vv52Iu

Music

Deep Space by Audionautix [CC 4.0]

Loungin’ by Ormorje

Stars And Stripes Forever by the U.S. Army Band

The Viking Soundtrack by Mario Nascimbene

Pedro Versus The World by Jingle Punks

Shostakovich's 11th symphony, performed by an orchestra at the Moscow Conservatoire, directed by Leopold Stokowski

The Feast from The Argonauts, by Bernard Herrmann

Dreamy Flashback by Kevin MacLeod [CC 4.0]

Spanish Dance by United States Marine Band

Houston Vibes Score by Unicorn Heads

Action Movie Trailer by HollywoodMusic [CC 3.0]

TNG - Who Watches The Watchers - The Vision - Ron Jones

TOS - First Goner / Salty Cat / Dressing Down (The Man Trap) - Alexander Courage

DS9 - Passage Terminated - Dennis McCarthy

VOY - Lifesigns In The Barn - Jeff Chattaway

TOS - It Is Done! (Spectre Of The Gun) - Jerry Fielding

TNG - The Defector: Suicide - Ron Jones

TOS - Starship Again / Nova Phase / What Happened - George Duning

Ethereal Ambiance by Ian Fisher

Calming Rhythmic Electronics by Ian Fisher

Footage

CNN: Cell Phone Danger Higher For Children, CNN, 2011, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/2tKfcpj]

CNN Explains: 3D Printing, CNN, 2013, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/1nxhDCE]

Will Global Warming Lead To Earth’s Demise, CBS News, 2017, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/2v9YIq4]

Cyber Attack Hits Major Business And Gov't Entities Across The West, NBC Nightly News, 2017, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/2uaZKFg]

Uber’s Self-Driving Truck Makes Its First Delivery, Wired, 2016, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/2pQxra3]

How Gene Editing Is Helping Fight Disease, BBC News, 2015, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/2ubdLCP]

Net Neutrality: How The Ruling Impacts You, NBC Nightly News, 2015, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/2tKCnQt]

Test Driving Google’s Self-Driving Car, ABC News, 2015, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/1RiYgJ2]

Charlie Munger, Bill Gates On The Future Of Artificial Intelligence, CNBC, 2016, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/2tefRh2]

Hot Robot At SXSW Says She Wants To Destroy Humans, CNBC, 2016, Accessed 2017 [http://bit.ly/1UKrR3V]

The Squire Of Gothos, TOS, 1967

Batman, 1966

Fight Club.1999

The Lion King, 1994

Monty Python And The Holy Grail, 1975

Hercules, 1997

Star Wars, 1977

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 2, 2011

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, 1966

Troy, 2004

Clash Of The Titans, 2010

Wrath Of The Titans, 2012

Immortals, 2011

Sabrina, 1995

Star Trek: Generations, 1994

Encounter At Farpoint, TNG, 1987

The Outcast, TNG, 1992

Behind The Lines, DS9, 1997

Balance Of Terror, TOS, 1966

Darmok, TNG, 1991

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, TOS, 1969

CRS-8 | First Stage Landing on Droneship, SpaceX YouTube Channel (http://bit.ly/1qzIBQn)

Ensign Ro, TNG, 1991

Remember Me, TNG, 1990

Scorpion Part II, VOY, 1997

Zero Hour, ENT, 2004

Death Wish, VOY, 1996

The Nth Degree, TNG, 1991

In Purgatory’s Shadow, DS9, 1997

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, 2001

Shadow’s And Symbols, DS9, 1998

Broken Bow, ENT, 2001

Star Trek Into Darkness, 2013

The Neutral Zone, TNG, 1988

Cold Front, ENT, 2001

All Good Things, TNG, 1993

Babel One, ENT, 2005

Day Of The Dove, TOS, 1968

Endgame, VOY, 2001

Conspiracy, TNG, 1988

Star Trek: Discovery Trailer, 2017, via Star Trek YouTube Channel (http://bit.ly/2rgkquc)

Parturition, VOY, 1995

Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 1979

Kir’shara, ENT, 2004

Clash Of The Titans, 1981

Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Animation, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2011, accessed via the JPL YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/1o7xmrg), 2017

Terminator 2, 1991

Her, 2013

Gattaca, 1997

Launch Of Apollo 11, NASA, accessed via NASAKennedy YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/2xwinSg)

Errand Of Mercy, TOS, 1967

Home, ENT, 2004

Face Of The Enemy, TNG, 1993

Homefront, DS9, 1996

Ensigns Of Command, TNG, 1989

Redemption Part 1, TNG, 1991

What You Leave behind, DS9, 1999

Images, Photos, & Art

Jupiter, Juno Spacecraft, 2017, NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt /Seán Doran

Panel 3 from Cancuen, Guatemala, representing king T'ah 'ak' Cha'an, taken & uploaded by Authenticmaya, 2007

The Gleaners, by Jean Francois Millet, 1857

The Course Of Empire, The Consummation Of Empire, Thomas Cole, 1836, uploaded by Brandmeister, 2015

Shepherd And Shepherdess At Home, Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven, 1881, uploaded by Dorotheum

Storming The Teocalli, by Emanual Leutze, 1848, uploaded by Mattes, 2013

The Course Of Empire, Desolation, Thomas Cole, 1836, uploaded by Brandmeister, 2015

Odysseus And Polyphemus, by Arnold Böcklin, 1896, uploaded by Botaurus, 2012

Flight From Troy, by Federico Baroccio, 1598, uploaded by Wetman, 2004

Battle At Lanka, Ramayana, Udaipur, by Sahib Din, 1649-1653

Ulysse et Télémaque massacrent les prétendants de Pénélope, by Thomas Degeorge, 1812, uploaded by VladoubidoOo, 2014

Braincloud And Scientist Mango Concept Art, by David Revoy, 2012, CC BY 3.0

Ulysses’s Revenge On Penelope’s Suitors, by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1814

Ulysses At The Court Of Alcinous, by Francesco Heys, 1814-15

Triumphant Achilles: Achilles dragging the dead body of Hector in front of the gates of Troy, by Franz Matsch, 1892, uploaded by Dr. K, 2008

Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus, Octavia, and Livia, by Jean-Ba[tiste Wicar, 1790-1793, uploaded by Jessicacu, 2008

Freskenzyklus im Casino Massimo in Rom, Dante-Saal, Szene: Das Empyreum und Gestalten aus den acht Himmeln des Paradieses, by Philipp Veit, 1817-1827

Eight Stages Of The Song Of Roland In One Picture

Hannibals Übergang über die Alpen, by Heinrich Leutemann, 1866, uploaded by Clpo13, 2017

The Myth Of Io, by Bartolomeo de Giovanni, 1490

Ulysses And The Sirens, by Herbert James Draper, 1909, uploaded by Fanfwah, 2010

Ulysses And The Sirens, 3rd century CE Roman mosaic, author unknown, uploaded by Dyolf77, 2010

Departure of Ulysses From The Land Of The Phaeacians, by Claude Lorrain, 1646

Marble Statue Head Of Odysseus, 1st Century CE

The Procession Of The Trojan Horse In Troy, by Giovanni Dominico Tiepolo, 18th century CE, uploaded by Sturm, 2005

Odysseus Toetet Die Freier, by Gustav Schwab, 1882

The Cyclops, by Odilon Redon, 1914, uploaded by Anagoria, 2013

Portrait Of Andrea Doria As Neptune, by Bronzino, 1540-1550

Ancient mosaic of the Roman villa of La Olmeda in Pedrosa de la Vega, 4th-5th centuries CE, uploaded by Valdavia, 2011

Raub Der Helena, by Francesco Primaticcio, 1530-1539

The Cyclops Polyphemus, by Annibale Carracci, 1596-1605, uploaded by Jonund, 2015

Odysseus & Nausicaa, by Pieter Lastman, 1619

Blick Auf Das Brennende Troja, by Johann Georg Trautmann, 18th century CE, uploaded by Beyond My Ken, 2010

Ulysses And The Sirens, by J. M. Waterhouse, 1891, uploaded by Artwork, 2012

Ulysses Defying the Cyclops, by Louis-Frederic Schutzenberger, 1894, uploaded by tatesic, 2012

Ulysses and Nausicaa, by Jean Veber, 1888, uploaded by Shuishouyue, 2015

Hermes Ordering Calypso To Release Odysseus, Gerard de Lairesse, 1670, uploaded by Wmpearl, 2012

Odysseus as guest at the nymph Calypso, by Hendrick Van Balen, 1616, uploaded by ArteGod, 2016

The Council Of Gods, by Raphael, between 1517 & 1518, uploaded by Sailko, 2011

Bust of Athena, a copy of an original by Kresilas, 430 BCE, taken by Bibi Saint-Pol, 2007

Ulysses Transformed By Athena Into A Beggar, by Giuseppe Bottani, 1775

Statue Of Poseidon, National Archaeology Museum of Athens, taken by Ricardo André Frantz, 2006, uploaded by Tetraktys, 2007

Apollo And The Muses On Mount Helion, by Claude Lorrain, 1680, uploaded by Hohum, 2017

Sirens By The Sea, by Victor Karlovich

Jupiter And Juno On Mount Ida, by James Barry, 1790-1799, uploaded by Shakko, 2014

Minerva And The Triumph Of Jupiter, by René-Antoine Houasse, 1706, uploaded by Shuishouyue, 2015

Homer And His Guide, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1974, uploaded by Thebrid, 2005

Statue Of Homer, taken and uploaded by Rufus46, 2013

IndoGreeks Trojan Horse Stone Carving, uploaded by World Imaging, 2006

A Reading From Homer, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1885

Space Shuttle Enterprise Star Trek Cast, NASA, 1976

NGC 4414, The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA), NASA Headquarters - Greatest Images of NASA (NASA-HQ-GRIN), 1999

Gemini 4 Spacewalk Footage, NASA, 1965

The Pinwheel Galaxy,  European Space Agency & NASA, 2006

Jupiter Of Smyrna, 250 CE, taken by Marie-Lan Nguyen, uploaded by Jastrow, 2009

Deucalion and Pyrrha, by Pieter Paul Rubens, 1636, Shuishouyue, 2014

Dispute between Minerva And Neptune, by René-Antoine Houasse, 1689-1706, uploaded by Shuishouyue, 2014

The Origin Of The Milky Way, by Tintoretto, 16th Century CE, uploaded by Alonso de Mendoza, 2016

Zojirushi Coffee Maker, by Consumer Reports, 2016, uploaded by The Photographer, 2016

Jupiter Surface Motion Animation, 2000, NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Achilles & Troilus, 2nd Century CE, taken by Marie-Lan Nguyen, 2011, uploaded by Jastrow, 2011

Odysseus Recognized By His Nurse, Louis Jean-Francois Lagrene

Discovery Of The Mississippi, by William Henry Powell, 1853, uploaded by Neutrality, 2006

Washington Crossing The Delaware, by Emanual Leutze, 1851, uploaded by Scewing, 2010

Abraham Lincoln Statue, taken by Dsdugan, 2015

Ulysse Reconnu��Par Euryclée, by Gustave Boulanger, 1849, uploaded by VladoubidoOo, 2013

Odysseus Yearns for Ithaca, by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, between 1751 & 1829, Photographed by H. R. Wacker. Scanned by James Steakley

Aeolus Giving The Winds To Odysseus, Isaac Moillon, between 1614 & 1673, taken & uploaded by Ophelia2, 2012

Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus, by J.M.W. Turner, 1829

Port Bathy And Capital Of Ithaca, by Edward Dodwell, 1821, uploaded by Jonathan Groß, 2008

Jupiter and Mercury at Philemon and Baucis, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1620-1625, photographed by Georges Jansoon, uploaded by JoJan, 2017

Otricoli Zeus, by William Henry Goodyear, 1889, uploaded by Davepape, 2006

Ulysses Fleeing The Cave Of Polyphemus, by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, 1812, uploaded by Djkeddie, 2016

Ulysses At The Palace Of Cice, by Wilhelm Schubert von Ehrenberg, 1667

Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place, Alessandro di Christofano di Lorenzo Allori, 1575, uploaded by Sridhar1000, 2011

Circe And Her Swine, from Character Sketches Of Romance, Fiction And The Drama, 1892, uploaded by Fæ, 2015

18th-century French engraving of Odysseus (Ulysses) on the island of the lotus-eaters, 18th Century, Unknown, uploaded by The Man In Question, 2009

Odysseus’s Men On Lotus Island, by W. Heath Robinson, date unknown, uploaded by Baddu676, 2016

Mercury ordering Calypso to release Odysseus, by Gerard de Lairesse, 1676 and 1682, uploaded by Ophelia2, 2011

Odysseus In The Cave Of Polyphemus, Jakob Jordaens, first half of the 17th Century, uploaded by Wmpearl, 2014

Polyphemus, by Guido Reni, 1639-1640

Odysseus and Nausicaa, by Joachim von Sandrart, 1630, uploaded by Trzęsacz, 2015

Ulysses and Nausicaa, by Michele Desubleo, 1654, uploaded by Shuishouyue, 2015

Odysseus and Nausicaa, by Salvator Rosa, 1655, uploaded by Fæ, 2013

Parthenon From The West, taken and uploaded by Mountain, 2006

Aeneas and Turnus, by Luca Giordano, 17th century, uploaded by Diomede, 2008

Aeneas tells Dido the misfortunes of the Trojan city, by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, 1815, uploaded by Bibi Saint-Pol, 2007

Cicero Denounces Catiline, by Cesari Maccari, 1889, uploaded by Donarreiskoffer, 2006

Dante And The Divine Comedy, by Domenico di Michelino, 1465, uploaded by Jastrow, 2006

The Ancient Greek Temple Of Hera, taken & uploaded by AdiJapan, 2006

Greek hoplite and Persian warrior fighting each other, by Άγνωστος, uploaded by Alonso de Mendoza, 2016

Gravestone of a woman with her slave child-attendant, 100 BCE, taken by Wolfgang Sauber, uploaded by Xenophon, 2008

View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow, by Thomas Cole, 1836

Saintes Amphitheatre, taken by Myrabella, 2009

Greek Theatre In Taormina, taken by Berthold Werner, 2012

Procession of Twelve Gods and Goddesses, 1st Century BCE

The Vestibule of Hell and the Souls Mustering to Cross the Acheron, by William Blake, 1824-1827, uploaded by Sadads, 2015

Fate, by Alphonse Mucha, 1920, uploaded by Carpediem6655, 2012

Loch Lomond, taken by Abubakr Hussain, Mohammed-Hayat Ashrafi, Maaz Farooq, Farmaan Akhtar, Mohammed Shah, 2005

The Symposium, by Anselm Feuerbach, 1871-74

Choregos and actors, Roman mosaic, taken by Marie-Lan Nguyen, 2011, uploaded by Jastrow, 2011

Bataille de Bouvines Gagnee par Philippe Auguste, by Horace Vernet, before 1863, uploaded by World Imaging, 2009

The Creation Of Adam, by Michaelangelo, 1511, uploaded by Urek Meniashvili, 2013

Iron And Coal, by William Bell Scott, 1855-1860, uploaded by Svencb, 2007

A Philosopher Giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is put in place of the Sun or The Orrery, by Joseph Wright Of Derby, 1766, uploaded by Ragesoss, 2006

Mulberry Street, NYC, 1900, by Detroit Photography, 1900, uploaded by Ignacio Icke, 2007, colored by unknown

Victor Frankenstein Becoming Disgusted At His Creation, by Theodore Von Holst, 1831, uploaded by Kaldari, 2008

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Rothwell, by Richard Rothwell, 1840, uploaded by Racconish, 2017

From The Earth To The Moon, book cover for story by Jules Verne, uploaded by Stbalbach, 2007

Uomo Vitruviano, by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1490, uploaded by Jökullinn, 2010

The Pic Of Gilgamesh on Neo-Assyrian Clay Tablet, taken and uploaded by BabelStone, 2010

North America from low orbiting satellite Suomi NPP, NASA/NOAA/GSFC/Suomi NPP/VIIRS/Norman Kuring, 2012

Treaty Of Penn With Indians, by Benjamin West, 1771-71, uploaded by Nonenmac, 2006

Spanish Colonization Of Mexico, by Thomas Townsend

Ulysses And The Sirens, by Léon Belly, 1867, uploaded by Shuishouyue, 2013

Odysseus And Penelope, by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, 1802, uploaded by Jdsteakley, 2011

Odysseus Fighting The Beggar, by Lovis Corinth, 1903, uploaded by Achim Raschka, 2011